


An Apple A Day

by Uncomfortable Duck (ScreamingJuiceBox)



Series: Jack/Daniel Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Eating Disorders, Jack needs to help his boyfriend, M/M, Poor Danny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 20:07:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7120630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScreamingJuiceBox/pseuds/Uncomfortable%20Duck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An apple a day keeps the Horsemen away</p><p>Or: Danny has an eating disorder and the Horsemen try to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Apple A Day

**Author's Note:**

> Just me being trash lmao

No one noticed when Daniel stopped eating lunch. Who would? Tons of people skip lunch. Stress gets in the way.

At least, that's what Henley told the Horsemen. "I used to skip lunch constantly." She tried to sound hopeful, but Jack wasn't so sure.

Merritt started to take notice when Daniel stopped showing up at breakfast, and traded it in for working out. But he didn't care, neither did Henley. "He'll be fine. This is Danny we are talking about." But Jack couldn't let his mind be put to rest so easily. 

Henley was right. This was Danny, and the Daniel Jack knew wouldn't skip so many meals without reason.

Jack saw Daniel's so called "dinners." They consisted of Daniel bringing the fork to his mouth and, when he thought no one was looking, putting it back down without taking a bite.

When people were looking, he just shifted his food around his plate. Yet somehow, Henley and Merritt weren't worried.

It was almost comical how blind they were to their friends behavior. Almost. 

Henley only spoke up when Daniel had also missed dinner three nights in a row.

"Jack," she told the young horseman, "something is happening with Danny."

"Yeah. He hasn't eaten anything in a while." Jack says with a sharp tone, looking at something on his phone.

"What do you think is going on?"

Jack holds up his phone to show her the article on the screen. "I've been tossing around the idea of an eating disorder."

Henley shook her head. "No. I don't believe it. Not Danny."    
But Jack nods.

Henley sighs. "He's been telling me he's snacking throughout the day. I was his assistant, I think I would know."

"You can't prove that he is."

"And you can't prove that isn't."

"There are three of us." Jack says simply, before walking away.

-

Two mornings later, the  horsemen confront Daniel at breakfast.

"Danny, you didn't eat yesterday." Henley starts out.

"I snacked, okay? I just wasn't hungry for dinner."

"I don't know where you got your snacks from." Merritt says boldly.

"What do you mean? The kitchen, of course." Danny pulls down the sleeves of his sweatshirt, which he was wearing although the fan was off and the air wasn't running.

"We were in the kitchen all day, Danny." Jack tells him.

"Look, sometimes I'm working and forget to eat for a day. Is that such a crime?" Daniel snaps.

"Okay." Jack says with a smile. "Then would you like some cake?"

"Excuse me?"

"Henley made cake yesterday." Merritt explains.

"Yes. It's quite good. I'll go get you some." Henley walks to the kitchen.

Daniel turns to Jack with a shaking voice, "What are you trying to prove here, kid?"

"Just giving you cake, Danny. Not poison." Henley tells the fellow magician, handing him a plate.

Daniel looks at it with a strange look in his eyes that worries Jack. He lifts the fork. "Cheers, you weirdos."

And then Daniel eats the entire slice, leaving the Horsemen dumbfounded. He smiles and hands the plate back to Henley. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Daniel walks away, and Henley corners Jack. "He ate it. I told you he was fine." But Jack shakes his head and pushes her aside.

He follows Daniel and stands outside his bathroom until he hears the telltale sound of vomiting. Jack waits for five minutes until he decides he needs to knock. "Danny?"

The sounds stop. "One second." Comes a weak voice that seems it can't possibly be coming from J. Daniel Atlas.

"No. Not one second. We need to talk. Now." Jack feels bad for being so forceful, but he hears the door unlock and the toilet flush. Jack has to open the door by himself, and when he does he can't believe what he sees.

There, on the ground, is a shirtless, shivering Daniel. Jack wanted to hug him close, but his bones stuck out so much it seemed a single touch would cause his whole body to shatter.

"Danny." Jack whispers. There's blood on the toilet seat, no doubt from purging. Daniel looks ready to cry, but too weak to even produce tears.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Daniel's skin is so pale, it appears Jack is taking to a dead man walking.

Jack sits down with a sigh. "How long?"

"It started when I was teenager. I got treated, but every few months, I find myself having problems with food again." He lays his small head into Jack's chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Jack runs his fingers through the older magicians hair, though he seemed like a little kid at the moment. "We're here to help you, okay?"

"When we met, you said I was your idol. I'm sorry that this is what your idol is. A broken mess that can't even eat a meal."

Jack pulls Daniel up to look at him, trying not to notice how cold his skin is. "Hey now. You were my idol because you are a great magician, but because of your appearance. This," he motions around the bathroom, "doesn't change that fact. You still are a great magician, you just need a little help. And that's just fine, we all need a little help sometimes."

Daniel looks like he might cry, but instead says, "Help doesn't fix anything, Jack." He shivers. "It's cold in here." Jack wanted so bad to tell him it was actually really hot, but instead he takes off his leather jacket and drapes it around Daniel shoulders. He gladly takes it.

"How about this? I will eat with you every day. No matter what. I will only eat when you eat. No secret meals. If you eat nothing that day, neither will I." Jack tries with a smile. "We can get better together. What do you say?"

"You need to eat, Jack." Daniel mutters.

"So do you."

"I'll try it. But don't get excited and think you've found some cure. It's hard to explain my disorder, but I do know it doesn't just magically go away." If Daniel had to, though, would tell Jack it was about the control, not the food itself.

Jack kisses the tip of Daniel's nose. "I don't want to lose you, and you're killing yourself."

"I know." They lay on the floor, then, and just lay together. Daniel falls asleep in Jack's arms.

Jack couldn't stop himself from looking at the skeleton of J. Daniel Atlas, his role model.


End file.
